Fighting Monsters - Member blogs - Social Work Blog

Undercover Care : The abuse exposed – A Review of Panorama

I sat down to watch Panorama yesterday and the trailers and name of the programme were something of a giveaway so I wasn’t exactly unprepared for what was shown. Panorama had been alerted to abuse within Winterbourne View near Bristol, which is a private...

Published 1 Jun 2011 6:57 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Abuse, abuse exposed, abuse of vulnerable adults, bristol, burstow, Care Quality Commission, castleview, cqc, Disability, discrimination, health, hospital, learning disability, local authority, long-term care, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, mental health, nurse, panorama, personal, politics, private hospital, section 44, social work, undercover care, winterbourne, winterbourne view, work
The State of Healthcare and Adult Social Care in England – a brief glance and thoughts

Yesterday the CQC published their report ‘The State of Healthcare and Adult Social Care in England’. I have to try and put my criticisms of the CQC and their increasingly lax regulatory process to one side, although I couldn’t help … Continue reading...

Published 30 Mar 2011 7:11 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Care Quality Commission, cqc, cqc report, Disability, elderly, health, health and social care, local authority, long-term care, mental health act 1983, mental health, old age, older people, personal, personal budget, politics, Public services, social care, social issues, social work, state of healthcare in england, state of social care in england, work
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – a few thoughts

I’ve written about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (aka DoLs) and Best Interests Assessments before but the last time I touched on them in detail was a back in 2009 when I looked at some of the initial assessments I … Continue reading →...

Published 3 Feb 2011 6:20 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved mental health professional, Best Interests Assessor, bia, Court of Protection, European Convention of Human Rights, Human Rights Act 1998, MCA, mental health act 1983, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, personal, social care, social work, work
Health and Social Care Bill 2010/1 – some comments and not much hope

I haven’t read the Health and Social Care Bill. I have glanced at it. I tried to look at anything connected with Mental Health and Social Care and there are a few bits and pieces nestled in there towards the … Continue reading → Read More...

Published 20 Jan 2011 6:29 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: andrew lansley, destruction of the nhs, evil tories, General practitioner, General Social Care Council, health, health and social care bill 2011, HealthWatch, local authority, lying liberals, mental health act 1983, mental health, nhs, NHS primary care trust, old age, personal, politics, social care, social issues, social work, socialcare, work
Into the Night

Image via Wikipedia Although the nature of AMHP work is that it will be crisis-orientated, I have found that assessments are usually planned to some extent. Last week, we received a referral to our team at about 3.30pm. For reasons that smack of ageism...

Published 8 Feb 2010 7:12 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Add new tag, Ambulance, AMHP, approved mental health professional, ASW, carer, carers, elderly, health, hospital, london, long-term care, mental health act 1983, mental health, old age, older people, personal, social care, social work, social worker, work
The GJ judgement and DoLs

I’m coming back to Best Interests Assessments and DoLs for a while now so excuse my indulgence but it is something that has and is creeping back into my workload after a few ‘dormant’ months and a part of the reason has been the impact of the ‘GJ’ judgement...

Published 14 Dec 2009 6:50 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, approved mental health professional, Best Interests Assessor, bia, Case law, court of protection case law, deprivation of liberty safeguards, dols, gj judgement, gj v foundation trust, health, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental disorder, mental health, mental health act, mental health act primacy, mental health act v mental capacity act, old age, older people, personal, social work, work
Of CTOs

Community Treatment Orders – Supervised Community Treatment – however it is termed it is one of the aspects of the amended Mental Health Act that I thought I would likely not have significant contact with on a day to day basis. I was right. But my experience...

Published 5 Nov 2009 6:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, ASW, care in the community, community treatment order, cto, England, growth in ctos, health, medication, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, mental health act 2007 amendments, personal, pink forms, social work, supervised community treatment, uk, work
Choice

We have been taught and trained to regard choice and individuality, quite rightly, very highly. Choice is fundamental and giving people choice is a key task in developing strengths. Without allowing choice, we float around in a moral vacuum. Without choice...

Published 14 Sep 2009 6:56 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, autonomy, health, local authority, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, personal, social issues, social work, social worker, work
Repeat Assessment

I was at work early yesterday in order to carry out a Mental Health Act Assessment. It needed to be completed early in order to ensure that Mr F was in. He liked to go out for walks and we wanted to make sure we caught him in – quite literally. It always...

Published 5 Jun 2009 6:37 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, approved mental health professional, elderly, health, hospital, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, police, social care, social issues, social work, work
Greed before Welfare

I am almost embarrassed to admit that I watched ‘Britain’s Got Talent’. It was all meant to be relatively mindless light-heartened ‘family’ entertainment. It was uncomfortable to watch young children burst into tears, from 10 year old Natalie Okri last...

Published 1 Jun 2009 5:53 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, bgt, boyle, Britains Got Talent, duty of care, Got Talent, health, hollie steel, lack of duty of care, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, natalie okri, personal, piers morgan, simon cowell, Susan Boyle, susan boyle and mental health act, susan boyle's mental health, the priory, work
Ginger

My duty as an AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) is fundamentally to co-ordinate and carry out assessments according to the Mental Health Act (1983 – as amended 2007). So in the case of a community assessment, I will request the doctor’s attendance...

Published 28 May 2009 6:15 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, animal warden, animals, approved mental health professional, approved social worker, ASW, cat, cat trap, health, hospital, local authority, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, mha 1983, national assistance act, national assistance act 1948, national assistance act section 48, pets, s48, social care, social work, work
A Course

Last week I went on a training course. As an AMHP I am obliged to complete 3 (I think!) training days every year which specifically relate to my role as an Approved Mental Health Professional in order to maintain my warrant. So it was that last week there...

Published 19 May 2009 7:49 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, approved mental health professional, ASW, Case law, edt, emergency duty team, health, in-house training, Law, legal training, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, mental health act assessment, social work, training, work
Rage

Yesterday I was at the end of the phone when a carer called – furious that the service was not able to deliver what had been expected of it. Honestly, the rage was mostly deserved. There I was, trying to explain why transport for an appointment had not...

Published 8 May 2009 4:52 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, anger with social worker, approved mental health professional, Best Interests Assessor, cancelling appointments, carer, dementia, ear bashing, elderly, health, local authority, local government, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, personal, social care, social issues, social work, work
Compulsion

The big difference between the work I am doing now and the work I was doing 18 months ago is the role that compulsion plays in my day to day work. A couple of weeks ago, a nursing student came up to our office - her placement is on the attached ward and...

Published 11 Mar 2009 5:30 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, ASW, elderly, health, london, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, mental health act 2007, old age, older people, personal, social care, social issues, social work, social worker, uk, work
Making the call

The most difficult decisions that I am faced with, and it hasn’t happened frequently, is when I am carrying out a Mental Health Act Assessment and have two signed medical recommendations in my hand and have to make a decision whether to admit or...

Published 16 Dec 2008 7:14 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: AMHP, ASW, care planning, decision-making, dementia, elderly, health, Home Care, hospital, long-term care, mental health act 1983, mental health, old age, older people, social care, social work, uk, work
Reviewing Social Work

This morning, Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children has announced review of Social Work. Seeing his job description, I wonder how much effect this will have on the generic nature of Social Work training. Some of the headline changes ‘demanded’...

Published 7 Dec 2008 7:50 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: Ed Balls, health, local authority, mental health act 1983, reforming social work, Sharon Shoesmith, social care, social issues, social services, social work, social worker, socialcare, uk, uk social work, what is social work, work
Moving Day

Today is moving day. Although I have barely started the handover of case work, the actual physical move from one office to another is starting today. As I was in the somewhat more fortunate position than others of moving into an empty desk and not having...

Published 30 Oct 2008 4:53 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: health, local authority, mental health act 1983, mental health, moving, office, social work, work
Assessment for Guardianship

I mentioned a Guardianship application I had in the works a few weeks ago. Nothing happens quickly around here at the moment with changes in the teams being imminent and what with trying to co-ordinate attendees, I finally managed the Guardianship application...

Published 28 Oct 2008 6:23 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: assessment, ASW, elderly, Guardianship, health, long-term care, mental health act 1983, Mental disorder, mental health, mental health act, social care, social work, social work assessment, work
The Interview

We are in the midst of a reconfigure. The desks are shifting at the end of this week. We are (well, those affected anyway) handing over people we have been working with. In one of those funny twists of fate that I partly attract but for which I can’t...

Published 27 Oct 2008 5:33 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: 2005 Mental Capacity Act, change, job interview, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, mental health, mental health act, social care, social work, socialcare, temp, work
Training

It’s a fairly busy month in the Mental Health teams with the impeding (3rd November) changes in the Mental Health legislation in England and Wales. Having attended my ASW (Approved Social Worker) to AMHP (Approved Mental Health Professional) conversion...

Published 21 Oct 2008 6:39 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved mental health professional, approved social worker, care services improvement partnership, csip, England, England and Wales, health, mental health act 1983, mental health, mental health act 2007 amendments, mental health legislation, social care, social work, training, uk mental health, work
Revisiting

I have been in my current team for a couple of years. I worked in the same local authority before that though for about three years. The geographical boundaries of the areas that I work in don’t strictly overlap so I haven’t had it happen...

Published 8 Oct 2008 6:15 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved social worker, ASW, elderly, health, hospital, mental health act 1983, Mental disorder, mental health, old age, older people, psychiatric hospital, sectioned, social care, social work, vascular dementia, work
On the ward

Image via Wikipedia I knew it wasn’t going to be a quiet day when I found a pink paper with a written recommendation for a Section 3 from one of our doctors sitting on my desk next to the ASW Duty Book - a book in which we note any Mental Health...

Published 12 Sep 2008 7:01 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: assessment, ASW, health, health care, hospital, mental health act 1983, mental health, old age, older people, paranoia, psychosis, social care, social work, uk, United Kingdom, ward, work
Guardianship - Making decisions

From my earlier posts here and here, I discussed the possible uses of the Mental Health Act and the Mental Capacity Act in a particular scenario. It seemed that in general, the Mental Capacity Act seemed to be offering similar authority as the Mental...

Published 3 Sep 2008 6:21 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved social worker, Guardianship, Human Rights Act 1998, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, work
Guardianship - What hope for the Mental Capacity Act?

So yesterday, I had found some of the reasons that the Mental Health Act could be used to apply for Guardianship in considering A. The Mental Capacity Act (2005) is fairly new ground - well, over a year now(don’t be fooled by that 2005 thing!) but...

Published 2 Sep 2008 6:13 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: ASW, Court of Protection, five principles, Guardianship, health care, local authority, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, mental health, mental health act, social work, work
Guardianship - or a journey into Section 7 of the Mental Health Act

I was called into one of the CMHT (Community Mental Health Team) meetings last week. It was a bit of a surprise. We don’t tend to go into other peoples’ meetings. It is almost like entering an alternate universe. People have the same roles...

Published 1 Sep 2008 6:25 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved mental health professional, approved social worker, ASW, elderly, Guardianship, health, MCA, mental health act 1983, mental capacity act, Mental Capacity Act 2005, Mental disorder, mental health, mental health act, old age, older people, social work, uk, work
Approval

Yesterday, I received confirmation of the ‘approval’ part of my new role as an ‘approved social worker’ (ASW). After completing the designated additional specialist mental health training a couple of months back and having spent...

Published 10 Jul 2008 4:57 AM by Fighting Monsters

Filed under: approved social worker, ASW, health, local authority, mental health act 1983, mental health, social work, uk, work

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Undercover Care : The abuse exposed – A Review of Panorama

The State of Healthcare and Adult Social Care in England – a brief glance and thoughts

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – a few thoughts

Health and Social Care Bill 2010/1 – some comments and not much hope

Into the Night

The GJ judgement and DoLs

Of CTOs

Choice

Repeat Assessment

Greed before Welfare

Ginger

A Course

Rage

Compulsion

Making the call

Reviewing Social Work

Moving Day

Assessment for Guardianship

The Interview

Training

Revisiting

On the ward

Guardianship - Making decisions

Guardianship - What hope for the Mental Capacity Act?

Guardianship - or a journey into Section 7 of the Mental Health Act

Approval